The vote was 2-2 Tuesday as Lumpkin County Commissioners once again faced the issue of allowing Sunday sales of beer and wine on the November ballot. District 1 Commissioner Bill Scott made the motion and Chairman John Raber broke the tie with a vote to allow the people to have the final say.

While commissioners Clarence Grindle and Tim Bowden stood pat on their decision not to allow the issue to go before the voters, District 3 Commissioner Clarence Stowers changed his vote. He said that while he had not changed his mind, he was changing his vote because he was “sick of all the attacks on my family. My wife and mother have both been attacked over this issue.”

He added that the county clerk and deputy clerk “can’t even do their jobs” for all the requests for public records and phone calls surrounding the issue.

The issue of allowing the people to vote on Sunday sale of beer and wine for convenience stores and restaurants in the county has been batted around since February

Very few BOC work sessions or regular meetings were free of public comment on the issue.

The July 17 meeting was the last chance for the issue to be placed on the November General Election ballot.

What an embarrassment this Sunday sales issue has been for the County. No wonder the county and really, the nation is so divided these days. Everyone wants to have their say (which is fine) however are to busy shouting out their own demands that we can't hear others speak. Rudeness is rampant. One of our least productive commissioners finally caves in to whining residents. The same residents that VOTED the commissioners into office and then doesn't like the leadership decisions and insists on side stepping those commissioners by crying for individual issue votes. County employees commenting in print media in demeaning ways about the county leadership that sign their paychecks. "Attacks" of sorts on elected officials' family members. Shame on us all for (1) either being involved in this 'entitlement' driven shoving match or (2) sitting by and letting it take place. Next tantrum that your children or grand children throw, don't dare ask "where did they get that from?"

The vote was 2-2 Tuesday as Lumpkin County Commissioners once again faced the issue of allowing Sunday sales of beer and wine on the November ballot. District 1 Commissioner Bill Scott made the motion and Chairman John Raber broke the tie with a vote to allow the people to have the final say.

While commissioners Clarence Grindle and Tim Bowden stood pat on their decision not to allow the issue to go before the voters, District 3 Commissioner Clarence Stowers changed his vote. He said that while he had not changed his mind, he was changing his vote because he was “sick of all the attacks on my family. My wife and mother have both been attacked over this issue.”

He added that the county clerk and deputy clerk “can’t even do their jobs” for all the requests for public records and phone calls surrounding the issue.

The issue of allowing the people to vote on Sunday sale of beer and wine for convenience stores and restaurants in the county has been batted around since February

Very few BOC work sessions or regular meetings were free of public comment on the issue.

The July 17 meeting was the last chance for the issue to be placed on the November General Election ballot.

What an embarrassment this Sunday sales issue has been for the County. No wonder the county and really, the nation is so divided these days. Everyone wants to have their say (which is fine) however are to busy shouting out their own demands that we can't hear others speak. Rudeness is rampant. One of our least productive commissioners finally caves in to whining residents. The same residents that VOTED the commissioners into office and then doesn't like the leadership decisions and insists on side stepping those commissioners by crying for individual issue votes. County employees commenting in print media in demeaning ways about the county leadership that sign their paychecks. "Attacks" of sorts on elected officials' family members. Shame on us all for (1) either being involved in this 'entitlement' driven shoving match or (2) sitting by and letting it take place. Next tantrum that your children or grand children throw, don't dare ask "where did they get that from?"